


Gone

by Valani



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Being Lost, F/M, Fear, Healing, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Love, Pain, Reunited and It Feels So Good
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-06-19 15:28:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15512865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valani/pseuds/Valani
Summary: One akuma, one touch, and Ladybug is ripped out of Adrien's life. Paris struggles to move forward without its heroine, but it's Chat Noir and Plagg who suffer the deepest cuts. When she finally finds her way back, can Marinette heal them both? Can they keep Marinette from falling apart?





	1. Gone

**Author's Note:**

> This is an unedited work! It's just a ridiculous plot bunny. If people like it I'll go back and clean it up later. Let me know if you think it's worth it. <3

Two years of fighting Papillon had made them very proficient at clearing the area of civilians. The easiest way was to draw the akuma off, into less populated areas of the city or even out past Paris's limits. 

Chat Noir thrust his baton towards the young man, yanking it back sharply before those damn white gloves could come into contact with it. Ladybug had already lost her yoyo that way, and he honestly had no idea how they were going to cleanse the butterfly. 

That was a problem for later though. 

The Eraser was surprisingly unassuming, for an akuma. A young man with brown hair curling around his ears, a simple black long sleeved shirt and black jeans. A white mask covered his eyes, hiding them from view except for a glowing red light behind the opaque fabric. He wasn't screaming for vengeance, or for their miraculous. He just walked, following them at a civilians pace and leaving them baffled. 

They probably wouldn't have even known there was an akuma if the Eiffel Tower hadn't suddenly, and instantaneously disappeared. Chat flung himself back up onto a rooftop, glaring down at the young man. Ladybug jumped from the adjacent building, settling beside him.

"We don't know what he wants, we can't  _touch_  him, and theres nothing that looks like a cursed item." Chat didn't mention the lack of a lucky charm. They both felt the loss that was. "Any ideas, my lady?"

There was an odd energy emanating from his partner. There had been from the moment the boy had stumbled, hand landing on a trash can. The can had disappeared, all of it's contents spilling out onto the ground where the akuma had fallen without anything to keep him up. Chat didn't want to think about the people who had been on the Eiffel Tower. He shoved the thought away. They would figure it out. They always did. 

Ladybug was pale when he looked over at her, staring down at the boy who was examining a store front window, looking for all the world like he was simply out for a stroll. 

"My lady?" He placed a gloved hand over hers. He jerked it back when she tensed, hand tightening on the bricks they sat, leaving finger shaped gouges. He stared at her with wide eyes. "Ladybug?"

She pulled the hand to her chest, finally meeting his gaze with wide blue eyes of her own. "Sorry. I..." She didn't seem capable of finishing the sentence. 

"We're going to figure this out," he told her. The fear in her eyes left his stomach churning. This was  _ladybug_. She was frightened, and no matter how freaked out he was, his job was to protect her. To make her feel safe. "We're going to be okay." 

Her lips thinned, but she nodded, reaching out and taking his hand again. His heart thumped loudly in his ears as she held it for a long moment before forcing a smile. "Right. We've got this. First off, we need to know what the item is."

"Right."

She was already off, scrabbling down the side of the building. The boy looked up, walking towards the noise. That wouldn't do. 

Chat jumped from the rooftop, landing opposite. "Hey kid, why don't we just  _chat_  about what's  _bugging_  you, huh?" 

The puns were half hearted, but in the silence he heard ladybug snort. Worth it. 

"I need your miraculous, please." The voice was soft, calm and patient. Chat couldn't help but find that a lot creepier than the normal screaming and shouting.

"Sorry, kid. No can do. Besides, if I handed it over, you'd just erase it anyways." 

The boy seemed to contemplate that for a moment. Purple washed over his mask, and chat frowned. 

"You could just come out and play yourself, papillon!" he snapped. "Instead of sending kids to do your dirty work, you coward." 

The boy didn't seem to notice the shout. "It'll be fine. A miraculous will survive my power." 

"Bully for them," Chat muttered, backing up as the boy walked towards him. "What are you trying to get out of this?"

"I want to disappear," the boy replied, simply. "Everyone else has. I'm tired of being alone. If I get your miraculous, my powers will work on myself." 

Ice ran down Chat's spine. That was dark, even for an akuma. Papillon was a bastard, preying on the hurt and broken, but this was a new low. "I know what it feels like to be alone," he finally managed to reply. "Why not take off the mask and me and you can hang out. We can talk about it." 

"No thank you. I'm just tired. I just want it to be over." 

Nausea churned in his stomach as the boy continued to follow him. A small flash of red ducking behind a box was his only glimpse of ladybug, but she was moving with purpose. If she'd seen something, it was his job to keep the kid talking until she figured it out. And then maybe until they could find someone to help the poor boy beneath the akuma mask. 

"I get that," Chat replied, one step back for every one of the akuma's. "I lost my mom a while back. For a long time it felt like nothing was ever going to get better. Sometimes it still feels like that."

He couldn't see them, but he could  _feel_  bluebell eyes boring into him. He kept his own locked on the akuma. "There were a couple of times that I...really wanted it to stop too. I know how tired you are. I get it, I promise." 

The kid slowed. Chat's heart leapt. They'd never managed to  _talk_  an akuma down before, but there was a first time for everything. "I was really miserable but...I met this girl. She was just...light incarnate. She wanted to help people. She fought through fear to do what she thought as right. And she smiled with me, and joked with me, and...things got easier." 

He could feel his face burning beneath his mask, but he forged on. "There are a lot of people in this world that feel alone. There are people out there that'll understand. That you can talk to. Maybe you'll even find some sunlight of your own." 

The boy stopped, wavering in the middle of the street. Red clashed with purple behind his mask. Chat waited, every muscle tensed and ready for whatever happened. Finally the purple cleared. The boy took a long, slow breath. 

"No. No, I don't want to fight anymore. Give me your miraculous, or I'll tear this city down."

A blur of red exploded from the store window beside the boy. Chat lurched forward, but before he could react, it was over. The small cross necklace that had been tucked beneath the akuma's shirt slid across the concrete towards him. He barely noticed over the ringing in his ears. The pale skin of the boys hand was vivid against the black and red of Ladybugs wrist. 

And then she was gone. 


	2. Coping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Plagg have had two years to adjust to being alone, and the world is slowly moving on.

Adrien slid out of bed, exhaustion clear in every line of his body. Plagg watched him quietly from his place on the other pillow as he hit the off button on his alarm before making his way towards the bathroom. 

The hiss of the shower joined the low, white noise that seemed to permeate his mind now. He stepped back, tugging his shirt over his head. 

"Adrien..." He glanced over at his kwami. Plagg hovered near the door, tail twisting anxiously around him. The corner of Adrien's lip curled into a little smile and he nodded, watching as the tiny black cat phased through the shower door and up to the little safe, dry nest he'd set up at the top of his shower caddy years ago. 

He'd wondered absently, after it had happened, if the newfound clinginess was just a temporary thing. Adrien slid into the shower, letting the hot water run over his face. It depended, he guessed, on what 'temporary' meant to you. Plagg was an ancient, powerful god. Two years was barely a breath to him. Adrien's entire life was probably nothing more than a blink, really. Maybe Plagg would be able to heal, eventually. 

Maybe not, though. Adrien reached for the shampoo. Plagg had lost more than a friend, than a companion. 

"We're literally two from one," he'd explained, back when they'd both held onto hope. "One can't exist without the other. She's out there, somewhere. Tikki is still out there." 

He'd never said anything about Ladybug, though. Her tiny god-companion may have survived Jacob's touch, but as powerful as Ladybug was, she was still just a frail little mortal. 

He hoped with everything he had, that Tikki was out there, slowly working her way back to Plagg. He missed the grumpy, wise cracking cat that had teased him in and out of costume. The didn't speak much, anymore. Plagg would settle himself in the pocket of Adrien's hoody, or in the back tucked to his side. They moved through the world together, two lost halves, unbalanced and broken. 

They didn't need to talk. 

The damage that Jacob, the nameless akuma, had done had been catastrophic. Without Ladybug's miraculous cure, the destruction to the city and its people still resonated through every day. The skyline seemed bare, without the tower. The number of people who had fallen to their deaths when it flashed out of existence was something Adrien still couldn't bear to think about. They had managed to isolate him quickly, but people had still gone missing. 

Marinette had gone missing. Her mother told Alya that her daughter had gone to draw the tourists at the tower, to work on new ideas. It wouldn't have taken much. Jacob could have leaned over her to look at her sketchbook. She could have tripped and brushed against him. She could have been shoved up against him in the panicked crush...

Adrien rinsed the soap from his hair. 

He'd run out of tears a long time ago. The healing wound of his mothers loss had ripped open again at the loss of Ladybug, the loss of Marinette, the loss of Paris, and hope, and warmth. 

Plagg floated quietly along behind him as he scrubbed at his hair with a towel on the way to his closet. Jeans, t-shirt, loose hoody, runners; the same outfit he threw on most days, much to his fathers annoyance. He glanced at the clock and sighed. 

"You should try and sleep more," Plagg grumbled quietly, settling onto his shoulder and leaning against his neck. "You're always early."

The habit had started in earnest the day after Ladybug had disappeared. His evenings were often filled with various events and runways, shoots and practices. He'd stopped fighting his father about them, simply arriving where he was supposed to be, when he was supposed to be there. It helped that Papillon had all but disappeared along with Ladybug. There was still the occasional akuma, but they always seemed half hearted at best. 

The best guess Plagg could offer was that whatever Papillon had hoped to accomplish required both miraculous, and since the Ladybug earrings had disappeared with Ladybug, there wasn't much point. Each akuma was devastating though. As quickly as Chat Noir managed to take them down, there was always damage. Death. Destruction. He couldn't heal the hurts of the city. Paris was wounded, just like him. 

That first early morning, Plagg had dragged him across the rooftops to a tiny shop tucked onto a tinier street. Master Fu had wrapped him in charms, plied him with never ending tea, and spoken to Plagg in a number of languages. It seemed english didn't quite have enough words to describe the loss of Tikki. 

They'd spent months digging through every resource they could find. Magic spells, mystical rituals, each one ending in abject failure. Eventually Adrien had snapped, delving into the world of mediums and psychics, hoping beyond hope that someone, anyone, would be able to reach out and find their missing partners. 

The visits had slowed, by the end of the first year. Now, two years later, he hadn't seen Fu in almost two months. The guardian hadn't stopped his search, Adrien knew. He'd spent time in China, India, traveling extensively to dig into any lead he could find while Adrien stayed behind to protect the city as best he could. 

Slowly though, just like it had been when his mother had disappeared, he had stopped hoping. 

Now all he could wish for is that eventually, maybe, it would stop hurting so much. 

"Maybe I should," he murmured, but he made no move towards the alarm clock, instead just gathering his bag and homework and heading out the door. Plagg crawled down his chest, sliding into the pocket of his hoody and settling without any other argument. 

 

The car ride was silent as always, and Adrien gave the Gorilla a small smile as he climbed out. The large man nodded, watching him make his way up the school steps before driving off. 

Adrien's hand hovered over the handle of the main doors, considering for a moment. His stomach growled, loudly and he sighed. Tiny claws bit into his stomach and he winced. 

"Fine, fine. I'm going." He jogged back down the stairs, crossing the street and making his way towards the familiar bakery. Plagg would put up with a lot of things, now, but forgetting to eat was not one of them. 

The little bell on the door jingled, and Sabine looked up at him with a smile that still didn't meet her eyes. "Adrien! Good morning! The usual?" 

He nodded, smiling in return. "Yes, thanks. How are you today?" 

Sabine ducked below the counter pulling out a cheese danish and a beautifully crisp chocolate croissant. "Oh, you know. A little better than yesterday, a little worse than tomorrow." 

He nodded, pulling out his wallet. In the early days of his visits, the Dupain-Chengs had tried to turn down his payment, but after they kept finding the exact cost squirreled away in random places in the bakery every time, they'd given up the attempt. 

"How's Alya? Nino?" she asked, tucking his purchase into a small bag. 

"They're good. Alya's site just reached twenty thousand subscribers," he replied quietly. "Nino's been helping her find new musicians to interview."

"That's great," Sabine replied, a real smile gracing her lips. "I'm so glad she found something else to put her passion towards. It would be such a waste if she stopped writing." 

He nodded, tucking the small bag into his hoody pocket so that Plagg could enjoy his half of the treats unnoticed. "Thanks Mrs. Cheng."

"Anytime, honey. It's always nice to see you." She leaned over the counter, pressing a kiss to his cheek. The chill that seemed to pervade him melted a little at the touch, and he smiled. 

"I'll be back soon," he promised, waving as he made his way back out into the early Parisian sun. Alya couldn't bring herself to go into the bakery anymore. From what she'd said she occasionally met with Marinette's parents for coffee somewhere else, but she couldn't handle the memories that the building brought back. He'd never managed to say it, but he'd always found it a bit selfish. Tom and Sabine spent every day in the home where their daughter had lived. Alya missed her best friend, but they had lost their daughter. 

He had made a point to visit them at least once or twice a week. He'd worried, after a while, that maybe he was making it worse, maybe he was forcing them to remember. They always seemed so genuinely happy to see him though and the warmth of their welcome made it a little easier to get through the day. 

Maybe he was being selfish too. 

He climbed the stairs again, pushing at the door only to pause when his name was called. 

"Hey Adrien!" Alya jogged up the stairs to join him. "Early again?" 

He smiled that face smile he'd practiced so much for the camera. It seemed to work well with his friends too. "Yeah. I figured I'd work on that history essay." 

Alya nodded, following him into the building. "Yeah, I've really got to get started on that too. Have you picked your topic?"

The walk to the classroom was filled with chatter. It had taken a long time, but he'd finally gotten pretty good at faking being okay. It helped that he'd always been a little socially awkward, but it was easy enough now to coast along. Only Nino seemed to notice his lethargy. He'd brought it up a few time, but he'd let it go after their last argument. 

Adrien didn't know if that was a relief or not. He sat in his chair, turning around to continue chatting with Alya, mostly listening as she described her recent review posts. A small pat on his stomach told him Plagg was done with his treat, and he pulled the bag out to eat his own. Alya's voice slowed for a moment at the sight of the familiar bag, but she went on gamely as he nodded and hummed, nibbling at the croissant. 

The rest of the class slowly filed in, filling the rest of the space with noise and life. Nino straggled in just before the bell, collapsing into his chair with a sigh. Adrien raised an eyebrow and Nino just laughed. "Found a new free game online. Didn't get much sleep." 

Adrien nudged his friends shoulder, shaking his head in mock disappointment as their teacher joined them, calling the class to silence. The lecture was familiar but Adrien took notes diligently anyways. Chances are Nino would need them, if the mess of smudges on his notepad and the drooping of his eyelids was anything to go by. Maybe during the break he could convince him to head over to the bakery for coffee. He obviously needed it. 

Pain rocketed through him, sudden and sharp, ruining his last page of notes as his pen skittered across the page. Plagg's claws dug into his thigh, hard enough that he was sure the kwami was drawing blood. 

"M-Ms. Bustier?" he squeaked, lurching up to stand. She glanced back at him in surprise.

"Adrien? What is it?" 

"Can I go to the washroom?" He could see honest concern in his teachers eyes, and he wondered how pale he'd gone. Plagg was still clinging painfully to his leg, clearly frantic. She nodded, but before she could even hand him the hallpass he had disappeared out the door, running full tilt towards the boys room. 

He slid into the small washroom, ducking to check beneath the stalls for anyone else before ducking into the last one and yanking Plagg out of his pocket. 

"What?!" he demanded, heart thundering in his ribcage. Panic filled him as he stared at his kwami. Plagg's fur stood on end, doubling his size as he tail whipped madly around behind him. The cats green eyes were huge and wide, something feral swirling in their depths. 

"She's back." The words were barely more than a growl.

"What?"

"Tikki. She's back!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See? It'll get better!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette is back, but is she as ready as she thought she'd be?

Marinette stared up at the blue sky above her, white fluffy clouds drifting across it. Her legs shook, barely holding her up, the thrum of magic still singing in her veins. 

"Tikki?" she whispered, voice rough and raw. 

"I'm here, Marinette," the tiny kwami replied, her voice sounding nearly as ragged. "I'm still with you." 

"Where are we?" the teen asked, the vision of cars driving down the familiar street wavering as her eyes filled with tears. 

"Paris, Mari. We're in Paris. Our Paris." The old god's voice cracked, and Marinette could feel her clinging to her neck beneath her hair. 

A man brushed by her, and Marinette lurched backwards, hand reaching for the knife at her hip. He glanced at her as he continued on his way, eyebrow raised at her reaction. She continued to back up until he back was against the brick wall of the closest store, before she slid around into a small dark alley. 

The noise of a Parisian morning was cacophony, leaving her ears ringing after the silence of Crevia. It had been midnight when she'd cast the final spell, quiet and utterly black. The world pressed in against her, noise, light, and movement leaving her nerves singing and her heart pounding. 

"Mari, it's okay." She could hear Tikki murmuring comforting words near her ear as she'd done so many times before. "Take a deep breath. You're alright."

Marinette slid down between two garbage cans, tugging her knife out in one hand, clinging to it. Tikki only cuddled closer to her charge, nuzzling against her cheek and speaking quietly as Marinette worked to slowly calm her racing heart. The noise hurt her ears. The light hurt her eyes. The scents burned her nostrils. It was too much. Too much, too much, too much!

She didn't know how long she sat there. The morning rush had slowed, shifting into the quieter parade of people making their way to an early lunch, and tourists hunting down the best crepes. The sound of french and english intertwined, the words achingly familiar instead of the half understood babble she was now so used to paralyzed her. 

She clung to the familiar words like they were morsels of desperately needed food, drinking them in like she was dying of thirst. One man told his daughter she was too big to be carried. A man raved about a new wine he had tried the night before. A woman laughed, and told her companion that she loved him. 

Love. 

"I want to go home, Tikki," she whispered. Tikki's soft, encouraging monologue paused.

"Then let's go home," she whispered back. "We'll go slowly. You can do this. We can transform if that's easier." 

The idea of transforming into Ladybug, of knowing she was defended, guarded and magical, was tempting. The idea of hundreds of eyes on her in broad daylight as she swung through the city was horrifying. Still she considered it for a long moment. Tikki pressed a tiny paw to her cheek, and it was the little tremble in her friends touch that decided her. 

"No, you're exhausted. I can do it. We can do it." 

Tikki nuzzled against her. "We can do it." 

Marinette rested her forehead against her knees, taking a slow breath. They were home. It was Paris. After years of trying to find a way back they were finally here. It was supposed to be exciting. It was supposed to be better! Tikki leaned on her gently, stroking the back of her neck. 

"Okay." This couldn't be any worse than that time with the spiders. Or that weird house with the staircase that just kept going down, and down, and down... They were, what, maybe five blocks from home? She could make it five blocks. She stood, trying to quell her shaking hands, looking out onto the bright street from the alley, watching people walk by. 

It would be fine. She would stick to the walls, keep something solid on one side. These weren't shadows, or strafes, they were just people going for lunch. Her stomach growled, but she ignored it, more than used to the feeling. 

"Um, Marinette?" Tikki whispered. Marinette hummed in acknowledgement. "You should probably hide the knife. It'll scare people." 

Marinettes eyes dropped down to the long blade in her hand, gripping it tighter automatically. "O-oh. Right. You're right." 

As Ladybug she had her yoyo, her suit, and her strength. As Marinette she had her mind and her blade. It had saved her life on more than one occasion, and the idea of tucking it away in her little leather pouch while she was so off balance made her anxious. She did it anyways, tugging the drawstrings closed and taking a step towards the street before she could psych herself out again. 

She'd survived Nenlak. She'd survived Crevia. This was Paris. This was easy. 

Stepping into the sunlight took another mental pep talk but she did it. She kept her shoulder against the brick, eyes flicking over the afternoon crowds, scanning absently. Tikki continued to stroke the back of her neck, a comforting presence even if she'd fallen silent. 

Marinette peaked around the corner, feeling her face begin to burn as a young woman stared at her as she walked by. 

Just walk, she thought to herself. You've done this a million times. 

It didn't help. She continued to creep along, each curious, concerned, and baffled pair of eyes that followed her left her fighting back humiliation and fear. Two more blocks. Just two. 

"Miss? Are you okay?" Marinette flattened back against the wall beside her, hand falling to her pouch instinctively. The older woman flinched back a little, but stayed, her expression filled with worry. "Are you lost?"

Marinette shook her head jerkily. "I-I'm going home," she replied, knees flexing in a standing acknowledgement. "Just...I'm almost there." 

The woman frowned a little, her worries clearly not assuaged. "Do you need help? I'll walk with you, okay?" 

Marinette's mind spun, a litany of reasons why a woman may want to help her flooding in and leaving her silent. Tikki pressed a hand firmly against her. "She's nice. Say yes. She can cover your exposed side until we get to the bakery."

Marinette wanted to argue. She was Ladybug. She was supposed to be the one protecting people. She was the one that collected the stragglers. She was the one that brought any humans she found to the safe houses. She should be able to do this. 

"Say okay, Mari," Tikki urged, voice barely audible. "Say okay and we'll go home." 

"Okay," she croaked, nodding a little. 

The woman nodded, offering a hand. "Alright. Where to?" 

Marinette reached out slowly, taking the woman's hand. It was warm, soft, and uncalloused. She smelt like flowers and summertime. Marinette had to blink back tears, gripping at the woman's hand. "Just...down the street. The bakery." 

"Oh, I love that place. Do you know someone there?" There was a false brightness to the woman's tone, a forced joviality meant to calm her. 

"My...my parents own it," she whispered as the stepped together. It was easier now. Tikki had been right. 

"That's nice," the woman continued on. "My name is Annalee. What's yours?"

"Marinette." 

"It's very nice to meet you Marinette." 

The turned the corner and the sight of the bakery nearly dropped Marinette to her knees. Her breath caught and she stumbled forward, fears forgotten in a sudden, desperate need to be inside the familiar walls. Annalee sped up, almost jogging beside her. The next thing Marinette knew the door had swung open and the achingly familiar scent of pastries, chocolate, and sugar swirled around her in a warm welcome. 

"Welcome in. I'll be right out." A sob burst from her at the sound of her mother's voice. 

"Marinette?" Annalee squeezed her hand gently. "Are you okay?"

"Mama," Marinette breathed, tears streaming from her eyes. "Mama." 

Sabine appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron and smiling warmly. "How can I-" She froze, breath falling from her. "Marinette?"

"Mama," she sobbed, reaching her free hand towards her. 

"MARINETTE!" Sabine lurched around the counter, throwing herself at her daughter. Marinette crumpled in her embrace, curling into the warmth, the scent, the feel of home. "Oh, my baby. It's okay, it's okay. TOM!" 

Marinette sobbed into her mother's shoulder, gripping her painfully tight. Sabine didn't seem to mind only pulling her closer. Thundering footsteps down the stairs didn't pull them apart. 

"Sabine?!" Her father's voice dragged a new cry from her, her choked sobs redoubling. 

"P-papa. Papa." Huge arms were wrapped around them both before she could say another word, Tom's sobs joining her own. The small family sank to the floor, wrapped together as the world fell away. 

 

It took hours before they managed to gather themselves together. The open sign had been turned off, the door locked and a small note with Annalee's name and number left on the counter with her best wishes. Her father gathered her up in his arms, carrying her up the stairs to the apartment like he'd done when she was little. Sabine had followed along, stroking her hair and only tearing herself away to disappear into the kitchen. 

"My little Marinette." Her father's voice was as ragged as her own. "Where have you been? You're so thin." 

She actually managed a small laugh at that. Her parents first response would be at her weight. She was thin though, painfully so at this point. She'd caught a glimpse of herself in a lake a few weeks ago, and her skin had been drawn and pale, her cheeks hollow and her eyes sunken. Food had been scarce. 

"I...I'm sorry. I'm sorry I took so long. I tried, Papa. I did, I promise." 

"Shh." He drew her back into his arms, rocking her. "I know. I know you did. And you are back with us now. That's all that matters." 

She rested against him, eyes falling closed as she listened to the heavy beat of his heart. Exhaustion pulled at her very bones, leaving her aching and shaken. She allowed herself a minute to rest there, to take comfort in his hold. 

"Tikki? You need to eat," she yawned, reaching back to press a hand gently to the small creature in her hair. Her father froze, and it took her a long moment to realize why. 

"Tikki?" he asked, quietly. "My name's Tom, sweetheart."

Marinette would have tensed, if she had the energy to do so. Her mind was too tired to whirl with worry, with fear. She had been fighting for so long, and she was so tired of hiding. Tikki seemed to know. Tikki always knew. The small god slid from beneath her hair, floating backwards, away from the pair. 

"Hello, Tom. My name is Tikki. It's very nice to finally meet you." 

A cup shattered against the floor. "W-what?!" 

Tikki shifted back again, her paws out. "Hello, Sabine. I'm sorry I scared you. I'm Tikki. I'm Marinette's friend." 

Her father pulled her closer, arms wrapping around her protectively. Marinette squirmed, finally freeing her face from his shirt. "Papa, it's okay. I promise. Tikki is the only reason I'm home at all." 

His grip loosened only slightly. 

"What...are you?" The question came from Sabine as she walked cautiously towards the small bug. 

"I'm a kwami. A god of luck and creation," she replied simply. Marinette chuckled again. Apparently even Tikki was too tired to play at being mysterious today. 

"And you...brought Marinette back to us?" Sabine asked, tentatively extending a hand. Tikki floated to her, resting on the proffered palm gratefully. 

"No," she told the woman tiredly. "Marinette was very brave. She fought very hard to return here, to come back to you. We found our way back here together." 

"That...sounds like our Mari," she replied, voice cracking a little. "I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. We all know magic is real. Why shouldn't the gods be real too?" 

"Marinette really needs to eat," Tikki continued, even as her head fell to rest on Sabine's palm, her eyes only half open. "It's been nearly two days. Something simple though. Her stomach won't be able to handle anything fancy yet." 

"You need to eat too, you silly bug," Marinette grumbled. "She eats cookies, mama. Any kind, but chocolate chip is best." 

"Cookies...? Well, I suppose that's easy." Sabine took the small creature, cradling her gently to place her on a small pillow. She glanced around, grabbing a throw blanket and tucking it around her, offering the small corner as a cover. 

"Thank you," Tikki whispered, eyes already drifting closed as the blanket enveloped her tiny form. 

"Of course," Sabine replied, wondrously, watching the tiny creature for a long moment. Finally she shook her head, dragging herself away. "Alright. Cookies and something simple. Oatmeal? Do you think you'll be okay with honey?" 

"Yes, please," Marinette murmured, her own eyes closed now as she rested in her father's warmth. She listened, half asleep already as her mother disappeared back into the kitchen. She jumped, hand dropping to her small pouch again as a pan clanging yanked her from her doze. 

"It's alright, Mari." Her father pulled her close again, pressing her head back to his shoulder. "It's okay. You're safe. You're home."

"I'm...home." A small tear dripped down her nose to fall against his shirt. "Home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you! It's getting better!  
> ...sort of. Right?   
> I know I'm updating like crazy right now, but don't get used to it. ;)


	4. Flying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armor, akuma alarms, and some fresh air for Marinette.

Tikki floated up the stairs ahead of her, spinning gently. Her color was brighter now, her blue eyes clear. Marinette hadn't realized how dim they had become during their time away, how drained the poor creature had really been. Now though, she was full of sugar, safe and secure. Marinette had every intention of keeping her tiny friend that way from now on. 

Twenty four hours of sleep and solid meals had done wonders for both of them. Tikki phased through the trap door, and Marinette followed, pushing it open. Even at midnight, Paris was nowhere near the all consuming dark that had enveloped Yair. The world was tinged green, and Marinette wasn't sure if she was glad that the spell they had paid so dearly for had remained with her through the portal. It was handy though, not worrying about tripping over things in the dark and waking her parents. 

The world of her parents house felt so unreal. Every time she woke, Marinette expected to find herself shivering in a run down attic, or tucked between two stones to catch a quick rest. Each time her parents touched her she had to fight against the instinct to wince away, to attack instead of to lean against the arm that was meant to comfort. 

They hadn't asked a lot of question yet, but she could see it in their eyes. They had tried to convince her to go to the hospital, but the idea of being surrounded by strangers and sickness left her shivering and with Tikki's assurance that all she needed was food and rest, they had let the matter drop. The questions were coming though, and Marinette wasn't sure how many she really wanted to answer. 

Her time in Yair had been, well, horrifying. One moment she had been in Paris, the next she had been plunged into an abysmal darkness that she had never experienced before. If it hadn't been for Tikki, she was sure she wouldn't have survived that first month. Blind, lost, and terrified she had followed Tikki's voice, hiding in small caves while the tiny god found her food and they waited, hoping her eyes would adjust at least a little. 

They had, and finally for at least a few hours a day Marinette could see well enough to navigate along the winding paths of the forest they had found themselves in, wincing at every noise. The spell to improve her night sight had cost them almost six months of barter items but it had been worth it to finally be able to see. What she had seen, though, only got worse. 

She pushed away the memories of war and devastation. She had done what she had to to survive. She had helped everyone she could. Now she was home. She was safe. Guild gnawed at her but she ignored it. She climbed the short ladder, pushing through the skylight and climbing onto the roof. The daylight had been painful, but the soft lights of the Parisian night was comforting. 

"We should find him," Tikki murmured, resting on her shoulder and gazing up at the sky. "He's waiting for us." 

Marinette sat on the lip of the roof, gazing along the dim street. Her silly cat. She had seen his eyes, before she had been wrenched away. She had seen the horror, the guilt. Her poor kitty had been waiting for her for two, long years, protecting the city all alone. 

Everything in her wanted to run, to find him and beg for his forgiveness. To make sure he was alright, that he know she never would have left him if she'd had a choice. 

Part of her though, large enough to leave her hands shaking and her heart thumping, was terrified at the idea of the reunion. What if he was angry? If he couldn't forgive her for that stupid,  _stupid_ , mistake? What if he-

"Don't be silly, Marinette," Tikki told her, poking her nose. "You know Chat Noir. He is waiting. Let's go."

Mari nodded, taking a breath and standing. "Spots on, Tikki," she murmured, the comforting flow of magic instantly caressing her. She unhooked her yoyo, and without letting herself think any further, she threw it, lifting off into the Paris skies. 

The summer wind was warm and the hum of life surrounded her. She flew through the streets, making her way towards the Champ de Elysee. She slid to a stop on a tall building, gazing towards the open field where the Eiffel Tower had once stood. 

"Will we be able to fix it?" she murmured. 

"Maybe," Tikki's tiny voice hummed through her mind. "I hope so." 

That had been another expensive spell, but absolutely priceless. Being able to talk to her friend while transformed had been an infinitely better option than having to detransform to coordinate. Tikki hadn't talked to her for a week though, after she learned what Marinette had done to earn the tiny scrap of paper. 

"I'm still angry," Tikki reminded her. "We would have found another way."

"Not now," Marinette murmured. "I...not not."

There was a sense of understanding, and comforting silence. Marinette glanced around, looking for the next place to hook her yoyo and froze, staring at the stranger reflected in the dark windows across the street. The woman was thin, barely a wisp in the wind. Her dark suit held only a few red spots. Hard, carapice like black boots coming almost all the way up to her knee. Dark armor covered her arms and chest. her hair was braided into a crown around her head, a far cry from the pig tails she'd worn the last time she'd seen herself in costume. 

She remembered each of the changes. The boots had been made for that trek through the Vanglin swamp. Her normal suit hadn't done much against the creatures swimming around in the dark waters. They had inverted the colors of her suit almost immediately. The red was too easy to see, too easy to aim at in the dark. The armor had been added slowly, extended as the war progressed, as the fighting grew more and more dangerous. 

"He won't even  _recognize_  me," she managed to choke out, staring at the battle scared woman where she had expected the girl. "Can't we change it back?"

Tikki was silent for a long moment, and Marinette could feel anxiety rolling through her. She sighed. "No, I get it. It's okay. We aren't ready to let it go yet. One step at a time." 

Even Gods can be scarred by circumstance. She knew the separation from Plagg had hurt her tiny friend, but she hadn't considered the drain that the fighting, the fear, the unknown newness of a world that neither of them belonged to could have hurt her. Tikki had been the one who kept them going, who encouraged her when she was ready to give up, who loved her when she hated herself. 

"We'll do it together, when we're both ready," Marinette whispered, tossing her yoyo and streaking across the space between her and the arch. "Everything together, right, Tikki?"

"Always together, Marinette." If something could hug the inside of her brain, Tikki did it. Marinette giggled, the sound a rare one recently. With one last swing she launched herself into the air, dropping gracefully onto the top of the arch. A scream burst from beneath her, and she ducked below the edge of the stone structure. 

"AKUMA! SOUND THE ALARMS!" Within moments sirens screamed across the park, the people of Paris who were still awake ran, hustling the tourists out with them. Marinette's gaze swept across the park, searching for the monster, her heart thrumming. She had been gone, but she hadn't forgotten how to fight. 

"Uh, Marinette," Tikki murmured, with a tinge of embarrassment in her voice. "I...think they mean us." 

Marinette froze, watching the people scattering, police barricades springing up from nowhere. In a matter of minutes the entire area was cleared, the sirens still singing a screeching serenade. Paris hadn't been this prepared for attacks when she'd left. She and Chat had fought tooth and nail for every new police procedure that had been put in place. They'd pleaded with the people of Paris to evacuate, not draw closer. They'd done interviews, spent time at social functions, anything to convince the people that they should stay away, far away, when the monsters appeared. 

It seemed, in her absence, they'd finally listened. 

"Well," Tikki's quiet voice was sardonic. "I don't think we'll have to hunt down Chat."

Marinette chuckled again, falling back and staring up at the sky, listening to the chaos she'd accidentally caused. She let the warm breeze wash across her again, letting the warmth seep into her skin. Yair had been cold, always cold. Most of the planet was in shadow for most of the year. It hadn't been unusual to wake to frost creeping up her clothes, snow on her blankets. She flexed her left hand, sighing at the feeling of loss. It barely mattered, it was just a pinky finger, but she could still feel it aching with cold sometimes, even though it'd been missing more than a year. 

Marinette sat up, letting her feet dangle off the edge of the arch as she waited. She watched people walking in the distance, the world moving on around her. It was easier, in the suit. Easier to handle the influx of sensory information that this world offered. Easier to move confidently. Easier to remember who she was, what she could do. The fear was less in control, with Tikki's magic wrapped around her. 

The long walk from her arrival point to her parents house had been daunting, but each day would be easier. She'd learned that, slowly and painfully. She'd learned how strong she and Tikki could be together. She'd learned how much they could take. If Yair couldn't destroy her, neither could this. 

Even so, nerves danced like purified butterflies in her gut as the minutes ticked by. 

"What if something happened to him?" she whispered, finally putting words to a lurking thought that had haunted her since the day she'd left. "What if...he needed me and..."

"He'll come, Marinette," Tikki murmured. "He's a strong kitty. He'll be here."

She nodded, running a gloved hand along the stone she sat on, absently. Light glowed softly from the tiny spell circle she'd drawn, and she smiled down at it. 

"I...guess it works here too," she murmured, feeling Tikki's curiosity blooming. "We'll have to see how much we can still do. Later, though."

A soft whistling noise had her hand on her yoyo, but she remained where she was, listening. The familiar sound of steel toed boots landing lightly on the stone echoed across the space and something in her chest that she had thought long dead blossomed. 

"Hello, kitty," she whispered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously. Don't get used to this. ....but I may already have the next section partially written.


	5. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat gets all the cuddles.

"Hand over the item." Marinette looked up over her shoulder, the dark figure of her partner silhouetted in the evening light. "I don't want to fight."

"Neither do I," she replied. Her heart felt heavy, weighed down by the exhaustion in his voice. He'd always been vivacious, rambunctious even. Her ridiculous, pun wielding cat was nowhere to be found in the sober man standing across the arch. He had exuded excitement, drawing her to be the best version of herself. Of Ladybug. She pushed herself up, forcibly relaxing as his staff expanded, shifting defensively in front of him. 

She turned, eyes running over the blond calculatingly. He was taller, certainly, a bit broader. He'd always been slim, but now that had turned into a trim waisted, only accentuating his shoulders and narrow hips. He'd had training, she realized now. She'd had to make up her attacks as she went when she became Ladybug, but that stance, the ease of his grip...that spoke of experience. Training. Martial arts at least, probably some kind of fencing. 

"Marinette..." Tikki's voice drew her out of her thoughts and she shook her head. She didn't need to measure the kind of threat he was. She didn't need to protect herself now, not against Chat. 

"You're pretty calm for an akuma," he told her, taking a cautious step closer. "Who pissed you off?" 

"No one," she told him, trying on a smile. He stopped then, eyes narrow. Well, that had backfired. She tried again, butterflies in her stomach rioting. "I was just looking for you, Chat. I...didn't mean to trigger an akuma alarm." 

"Look, I have places to be, Lady," he snapped, baton shrinking to the length of a sword. Rapier probably. Definitely fencing. "Let's just get this over with."

"Chat," she raised a hand to reach towards him, but stayed where she was. "It's me." 

The boy snarled and this time she did reach for her yoyo, heart hammering. "Don't play with me, Papillon. It didn't work last time, and it won't work this time. She doesn't even look like...like..." 

Her hand dropped from her weapon, sorrow threatening to drown her as she stared at him. Oh, her poor, poor kitty. What had life done to him while she was gone to leave him this battered down? She'd seen that look before, the expression on his face was painfully familiar. Men who'd been fighting, watching their brothers fall beside them. Survivors alone in the world, pushing everyone away to make room for their fear. 

"Oh, Chat..." she whispered. "Oh, kitty. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I left you alone." 

She stepped back, away from the edge before dropping to her knees. She sat back, watching him with a shaky smile. "It's okay. I'll wait until you're ready. If you need to go talk to Plagg, that's okay. I'll still be here when you come back." 

"Plagg?" he croaked. Both hands wrapped around his baton as he shifted away from her. She beat down the urge to follow. Forcing the situation wouldn't help. She'd learned that the hard way. "You...you're..."

She reached out a hand again, tears welling in her eyes. Her chest ached as the expression on his face changed, fear radiating from his arched shoulders, from the way he curled in on himself. 

"Here, kitty," she whispered, wiggling her fingers. "Here, kitty, kitty." 

She could hear his ragged breaths from across the arch, and she couldn't help but jump when his baton hit the ground, clattering loudly. He launched himself across the space, sliding on his knees to envelope her. Part of her lurched back, panicked at the sudden movement, but the rest of her dove forward, desperate to know he was here, that he was okay. 

"Ladybug. Ladybug," he gasped, burrowing his face in her shoulder. His claws dug into her suit, points of pressure that only made the moment more vivid. More real. "My lady. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't protect you. I didn't...I failed you. I-"

"Shh, kitty. You never failed me," she told him sternly, even and she sniffled. "You never could. I made a stupid decision, a stupid, stupid decision. It was no ones fault but mine. And Papillon's." 

She held him while he cried, wrapping him as tight as she could in her arms. Tikki's mind buzzed in her own, an odd, stilting language of clicks and hums echoing through it. The little god wasn't speaking to her, she only heard the edges of the conversation. She didn't interrupt though, leaving her friend to her own reunion as they both soothed their black cats. 

"I tried to find you," Chat finally managed to choke out. "I promise, my lady. I tried. We tried. We tried everything...everything we could fine but..."

She ran her hand through soft blond locks, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "I know. I know you did. We felt the shivers. It's how I found my way back. You led me back home kitty. You didn't know it, but you saved me. You and Plagg." 

He pulled back, staring at her with wet green eyes. "Where did you go?" 

She bit her lip, brushing a lock of hair away from his face. "That's...a long story. Longer than we have time for tonig-" Her words cut off as her breath rushed out of her. Chat clung to her, pulling her against him almost painfully tight. 

"Don't go," he groaned, his voice barely human. "Please don't go. Don't leave me."

A new wash of pain swept through her, but she only held him, running a hand through his hair again and again until his hold loosened slightly. 

"I'm not going anywhere kitty. Hell couldn't drag me away. Not again," she murmured, finally. "I just need to be home when my parents wake up." 

"Your...parents," he whispered, hand stroking along her back in a motion that seemed to be more to reassure him than anything else. She chuckled, nodding.

"My parents. They'll worry if they realize I'm gone." His arms tightened around her again but relaxed almost immediately. She could almost feel the maelstrom inside of him, the desperate panic a tangible force. 

"It's Saturday tomorrow, right?" she continued, finally. "Come with me. I'll explain to them. Unless you need to be somewhere in the-"

"No. Wait, what? No!" she almost laughed again as he stuttered. "I don't have...I don't have anything. Nothing. Nothing but you." 

She hummed in acknowledgement, shifting to let him lean more fully against him. Gloved hands continued stroking his hair, pressing against his leather ears. A rumbling purr burst from him, and this time she laughed out loud. The purr petered off embarrassedly, but she rubbed the ear again, massaging it firmly between her fingers and grinning as the sound ignited again. 

Chat pressed his face against her neck, butting up against her chin as his hands flexed against her back. Marinette smiled, tears welling in her eyes again at the peace that settled over her heart. 

This, here, was where she was meant to be. In Paris, in the night, with her precious black cat. Soul mates was the least of their connection, hearts connected through destiny and deed. No matter where they were, no matter what they did, they would always be connected. Every moment she hadn't spent fighting had been spent trying to claw her way back to the world where he waited for her. 

Finally the purr quieted, much to her disappointment, and the boy simply leaned against her. The sirens had finally stopped sounding, though the park remained cordoned off. Marinette watched the world beyond his shoulder as she waited for him to recover. 

"We should go, kitty," she murmured, when he'd finally settled into what she was fairly sure was a light doze. "I don't want to be away too long." 

His arms tightened only a little that time, and she kissed the top of his head again. 

"Please, my lady." His voice was worn, tired. "Just...a little longer."

"You need to sleep," she told him. "You'll be more comfortable in a bed. Plagg and Tikki will want to see each other too. We shouldn't keep them apart any longer." 

He finally straightened, looking up at her, dazed and confused. "I...are you...taking Plagg with you?" He asked, rubbing at his eyes. "Is that...can we do that?"

She chuckled. "No, I'm taking both of our kitties home, Chat. Did you miss that part of the conversation?" 

Chat just continued to stare at her in what she had no hesitation dubbing adorable bafflement. She poked his nose gently. 

"You. Come home. With me." 

"...to your home?" 

"Yes, to my home." 

"Where you live."

"Yes, where I..." A wave of joyful relief had her throat tightening, but she pushed through it. "Where I live."

"I'm allowed to know where you live?" The hope in his eyes burned through her, and her heart shivered at the adoration she could see there. 

She frowned, running a thumb across his cheek. "I hope you haven't forgotten already." 

"I...what?" 

Marinette frowned, a sinking suspicion settling in her stomach. "...kitty, do you not know who I am?"

He stared at her for a long, silent moment and when he spoke, the fragility of his voice knocked the breath from her. "No?"

"The glamor may have only fallen because you were the one who left this plane," Tikki's voice made her jump in surprise in a way it hadn't in almost a year. Chat pulled her closer, worry filling his eyes instead of confusion. 

"Sorry, Tikki just...never mind. Not important." Marinette felt a whole new wave of anxiety trickle through her. She'd had a long time to come to terms with her partner. Even more time to come to terms with herself, with who she was and who she could be. She sighed, placing a hand against his cheek. 

"When I...left, the glamor that keeps our identities hidden was washed off, just like every other spell. I guess it works again now, since you don't recognize me, but the effects of your glamor stopped working on me too. I know who you are, kitty." 

He stopped breathing. She smiled, sadly, patting his cheek gently. "It's okay. I'm sorry, I figured it went both ways. I thought...you knew." 

He was shaking in her hold now, staring at her, pupils blown wide. Worry filled her as the silence stretched. "If this is too much, we can wait. I had...a lot of time to...handle it. If you don't want to-"

"No!" he burst out. "I mean...know! I want to...I want to know. Please, I want to know." 

She smiled again, resting her forehead against his. His breath was ragged and warm across her cheeks, and she gave him a moment to gather himself. Finally she pulled away. 

"Not going to pass out on me, kitty? I don't want to have to carry you home." 

That surprised a laugh from him. It sounded rusty, out of practice. "I...think I'm okay. I'll be okay." 

She sat back, taking his hand in her own. He knelt in front of her, curled towards her like he couldn't bare to be any further than he absolutely needed to be. She knew the feeling. She licked her lips, throwing away the last of her caution onto the summer wind. 

"Hello Adrien. My name is Marinette. It's very good to see you again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright. That's all for today, I swear. Now that I've got this part out of my system I can actually go be productive. Updates will keep coming as I manage them, but definitely don't expect 5 in a day again! :P
> 
> WarSurvivor!Marinette doesn't have time for drawn out reveal shenanigans. She knows you have to grab happiness when it's offered to you. 
> 
> Assuming Chat survives the shock, we'll have an update soon.


	6. Spots Off

Adrien clutched at the black cat pillow she'd handed him, sitting warily on top of the pink comforter of her bed. Ladybug -  _Marinette -_ had padded quietly down the ladder from her room in search of food for the kwami's still wrapped in spots. 

_"Hello, Adrien. My name is Marinette. It's very good to see you again."_

Marinette. His lost friend; his  _first_  friend, after Chloe. He'd mourned her loss, ached every time he saw the empty seat behind him. His heart had broken for Alya every time the girl had to leave the classroom to collect herself. How much worse would it have been if he'd known that he'd been so close to his lady and never noticed? That he'd been inches away from her and he'd still been blind? 

How could he have missed it? How could he not have seen the bravery that cloaked Ladybugs every movement also fluttered behind Mari when she demanded that Chloe leave someone alone? How had he not noticed the beautiful bluebell eyes, the ones he'd dreamt about so many nights? 

Had he tried hard enough? Had he smiled at her when she came in, or had he been distracted by thoughts of spots? Had he tried to talk to her? To help her through her nerves around him? Or had he just let his own nerves paralyze him, letting the love of his life slip through his fingers every time she fumbled her words and ran? 

He grabbed at his hair, yanking on it painfully as a growl rumbled almost silently in his chest. How could he have been so  _blind?_

"Adrien? Ladybug stared at him over the edge of the bed, eyes soft and sad. "I...do you need a minute? I can stay down here."

He shook his head, untangling his claws from his hair. "No...I..." 

She climbed the last few steps, sitting cross legged beside him, pulling another of the multitude of hand crafted pillows onto her lap. 

"It was...a shock for me too," she murmured, finally. "It was like...getting dunked in ice water, realizing that I'd missed something so  _obvious_. You'd been right there. I'd spent whole days staring at the back of your head. For a while I thought I had to just be so totally stupid that..." She huffed a laugh. "Tikki straightened me out. The miraculous...it doesn't just let us transform. It's a catalyst, a storage device for spells. She gets pretty cagey about it; she tells me I need to learn these things in good time. But she explained about the glamor."

She rested her hand on his, smiling crookedly. "We aren't crazy, and we aren't blind. Magic keeps our identities safe, from civilians and, as long as we wanted, from each other."

"Magic," he repeated, dubiously. Marinette laughed, the sound like tinkling bells. Something cold and broken in his chest stirred at the sound. 

"What, you transform into a cat every night with a ring and a tiny god and  _magic_  is where you draw the line? Fine, power then. Science we haven't explained yet. Whatever you want to call it, it exists. That's not really the point though. I just mean...you couldn't have noticed. I couldn't have noticed. The only reason I figured it out was because when I went through the veil, any local magic...reset."

"The veil?" he asked quietly, staring down at her hand, resting on hers. Slowly, cautiously he turned his hand over, the chill in his chest retreating just a little more when she didn't pull her hand away when he wrapped it in his own. 

"I don't know. We had a lot of names for it. The...barrier. The divide. The thing that keeps our world contained within itself." Marinette sighed, leaning back against the wall tiredly. "The thing that kept me from coming back." 

"But you're back now." He needed to hear it again. Her hand in his own wasn't enough. Her words weren't enough. He didn't know what would be. 

"I'm back." There was a shimmering joy in her words. 

"And I...helped?" 

"You helped, kitty. You gave me a light to follow." Her eyes shimmered with tears as she turned to smile at him. "I'd have been lost forever without it." 

Tears gathered in his own eyes even as he fought to blink them back. "Good. That's...good." 

"Very good." She raised her free hand, her fist hovering in the air between them. Something between a sob and a laugh burst out of him. He lifted his own, tapping it softly against hers. 

"Bien Joue," they whispered, together. Ladybug leaned against his shoulder, resting her head against his. They sat there for a while, just enjoying the warmth of their hands wrapped together.

"We should really let them out," she finally murmured. Chat glanced down at her. "The kwami's."

Anxiety flared in his chest, and his hand clenched around hers tight enough that if she wasn't covered in magical armor, it would have hurt. She fell silent, running her thumb softly over the back of his hand. His heart thundered in his chest. 

This was it. This was  _it._ This was the moment he'd dreamt of for two long years, and what he thought he'd never be able to get for two more. He'd get to see her face. She'd be able to see his; to see  _him_. He'd be able to take her to lunch, or just wave in the hall. He'd  _know_. 

He already knew, of course. Or, she'd told him. He was sitting in a familiar room, still very much the same as he last remembered it. He knew her name was Marinette. He knew she was his friend. She knew who he was and she was still here, holding his hand until he was ready. 

He was ready. He had to be ready. 

"We can wait," she told him, quietly. "I guess I got used to people seeing me in and out of costume. It's different, obviously. It's... _you_. But..."

"No. No, I'm...Plagg, claws in." The magic rushed from him, leaving him feeling a little light headed as it always did. A rush of pink light flared next to him, and his eyes slammed shut, old habits dying hard. 

He heard a rumbling, noisy purr mixing with an odd chirping hum somewhere in the air in front of them. He could feel the skin of her bare hand against his. She was there. She was right there, just waiting for him to open his eyes. 

"Here kitty," she whispered, poking his nose gently with her free hand. "Here, kitty, kitty."

He grinned, the familiar touch soothing. The anxiety that had churned in his chest burst into joyous chaos. Why was he waiting?

She was HERE. She was ALIVE. 

His eyes sprung open and he met hers. Bluebells and emeralds, earth and sky. 

"Marinette." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor cinnamon roll. He'll get there. He's still in shock. He needs a good solid cry and a few months of constantly checking to make sure she's actually there. Yup. That'll be healthy. 
> 
> Maybe they should sign up for couples therapy...


	7. Rest

"Is that camembert?" Plagg's voice interrupted the moment, as it was prone to doing. Marinette looked away, an Adrien mourned the loss of her gaze. 

"It is. Tikki told me. I got my parents to pick some up, just in case. I wasn't really sure how tonight was going to go." 

"You could at least introduce yourself," Adrien grumbled, but it was half hearted at best. His tiny friend was almost glowing, twisting and preening in the air, his tiny tail wrapped firmly around the tiny leg of the small polkadotted creature floating next to him. "Hello. I'm Adrien. It's very nice to meet you."

"Hello Adrien! It's nice to meet you properly." The small bug zipped towards him, towing his protesting partner along for the ride. She pressed a tiny kiss to his cheek, the touch like static on his skin. "My name is Tikki!"

"Okay, okay, are we done now? I'm hungry," Plagg grumbled, pulling back towards the plate Marinette had brought, stacked with cheese and cookies, unwilling or unable to detach his tail from his own partner. Tikki giggled, waving and floating along next to him. 

"...sorry about him," Adrien muttered. Glancing back at the girl who's hand was still wrapped in his own. She was smiling at the tiny pair as they inhales more calories than he was allowed to eat on a daily basis. She yawned a little, leaning against his shoulder in a way that made his heart swell painfully. 

"It's alright. I don't mind. I'm just glad they're together again," she replied, sighing happily. His eyes finally dropped from the familiar face, the one he'd spent so long searching for...to the frankly absurdly large pajamas she was tucked into. Marinette had always been carefully styled, not in a way that said 'hours of effort' but in that effortless way people gifted with innate fashion sense only seemed to manage. The large, red vertical stripes didn't seem at all her thing, no matter how long she'd been gone. 

She glanced down, and for the first time since they'd met up her cheeks flared red enough to match her shirt. He had to bite back a laugh, tugging at the hem of the shirt teasingly. "It's a little big, don't you think?"

She hunched over, glaring at him. Her nose scrunched and he wanted, suddenly, desperately to press a kiss to it. He managed to hold himself back by sheer force of will. 

"My...clothes weren't exactly...Paris friendly," she muttered. "None of my old things fit anymore, and I only got back yesterday. Mama is going to pick a few things up for me tomorrow so I can go shopping. So...Papa's pajamas were really the only option." 

"I think you look really cute," he told her, smiling. She blinked up at him, the blush still burning on her cheeks. 

"Th-thanks," she murmured, glancing down. Once again freed from the hypnotic gaze, his own wandered and his smile melted into a frown. She jerked her head up as he brushed her cheek gently with a finger. 

The scare was healed, but it curled from in front of her ear down and off her chin. A ragged white line that he could imagine too easily to be crimson. "What happened?" 

Her expression shuttered a little, and he wished more than anything he could take the words back. She replied before he could manage to. 

"Sword," she muttered, almost sound embarrassed. "I...can we...talk about it later? I just...want to...not. Right now." 

"Yeah, of course," he replied instantly, refusing to be the cause of her discomfort. The word 'sword' sent all kinds of alarm bells ringing in his head, but there would be time for that later. Adrien looked back towards the plateful of kwami's, meeting another pair of huge, blue eyes. Worry was etched into the face of the tiny creature, but she offered him a small, encouraging smile. 

Plagg sighed happily, burping far louder than the tiny body should have been capable of. He drifted lazily towards a shelf above Marinette's bed, dragging an unperturbed Tikki, still munching on her last cookie. 

"Oh! Hey! Tikki has her own bed! I want my own bed!" the small cat cried, disappearing into the small pile of fabric visible over the edge of a shoebox. Marinette giggled. 

"I'm sure I can find enough stuff to make you one tomorrow," she told the god. "For now you'll have to share." 

"We'll be fine," Tikki told her, tumbling in after Plagg. "There's lots of space. You two should rest." 

Marinette yawned. "I don't know how I'm still tired. I've had tons of sleep." 

"You're recovering. Just let your body do what it needs to do," came the muffled voice. Marinette released his hand, pulling away before he could drag it back. She crawled towards the ladder and he straightened up in protest. 

"Hey, I mean, I can sleep on the floor or..."

The light flicked off as she leaned half out of the bed to reach the switch. She looked back over at him. "Hm? The floor? Why would you do that?"

"Uh..." He was glad of the dim light, hiding the sudden burning of his ears and cheeks. "I mean...it's...a small bed and..."

Marinette frowned, hands tightening in the covers. "Oh...Right. Sorry. I just...I'm used to...I mean, there wasn't a lot of space. Everybody sort of just shared everything. I don't mind sleeping on the lounger if you're more comfortable being by yourself..."

"No!" His brain still felt a little behind the time, but his body seemed happy to make up the difference, his heart screaming in no uncertain terms that there was no way he was going all the way down there when he could be here, with her. "I mean...sorry. No, it's fine. I just...didn't want to make you uncomfortable. 

She smiled. "It's fine. I trust you."

The words struck him like that last akuma's baseball bat. He watched, trying to get his mouth to work as he watched her rearranging the blankets, finally moving when she gestured him over. She paused...staring at the two pillows she'd laid out, hands flexing oddly. 

"Are...you okay? Did you change your mind?" 

She shook her head. "No, I just..."

"She doesn't know which side to sleep on," Tikki told him, quietly. "She's used to sleeping against a wall, but she's also used to being the one protecting the door." 

"I'm right here," Marinette mumbled. 

"Yah, and if we let you two sort it out, none of us will get any sleep tonight," came Plagg's voice from deep within the shoe box. 

"Plagg." Tikki's voice was stern but somehow still affectionate. "Marinette, it's okay. We just got back. It's going to be an adjustment. But we're safe here. Adrien is safe here. The De'ek are a universe away." 

The tiny creature floated down, ignoring Plagg's protests. She pressed her forehead to Marinette's, both of their eyes dropping closed. Adrien fought not to shift, uncomfortable with the certainty that he was intruding on something private, something intimate and none of his business. 

"It's going to take time," Tikki continued. "But we'll work it out. One day at a time."

"One day at a time," Marinette sighed, nodding a little at what was clearly a familiar mantra. 

"Good." Tikki floated back a little. "You are going to sleep there." She pointed a tiny paw at the space beside the wall. "And Adrien will sleep by the ladder. He's Chat Noir. If something happened, he can do just as much as you." 

Marinette nodded, an exhaustion that had nothing to do with the late hour heavy in her gaze, and the curve of her shoulders. Adrien shifted into his ordained space, watching as Mari shifted her way down to curl under the pink comforter. He hesitated for a moment, but at Tikki's insistent wave, he crawled beneath it with her. 

"Hey." Marinette's eyes were soft, the warmth in them as she watched him settle sending his heart into overdrive. Adrien was starting to worry that the poor overworked organ might just give out any moment. He rested his head on the pillow, laying on his side facing her. 

"Hey, yourself," he murmured. His heart gave a lurching thump as her hand drifted up to press against his cheek. 

"I missed you, kitty," she whispered, blue eyes suspiciously bright. Adrien didn't both to fight the tears that welled up in his own. He pressed his own hand against hers, leaning into the touch. 

"I missed you too, my lady. Everyday. Every moment." Her turned, pressing a soft kiss to her palm. The motion felt natural, the press of lips to skin, the sound of her soft sigh, it felt right and brilliant. His heart slowed, a lethargic contentedness weighing down his limbs, and his eyelids. 

"Goodnight, Adrien," she whispered, turning her hand to grasp his own, and resting them between them. 

"Goodnight, Marinette." 

He fell asleep with the smile her name brought, still on his lips. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaah. That's nice. Right? They can deal with the rest tomorrow.


	8. Admissions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette admits some things. Some on purpose. Some...a little less on purpose.

Marinette watched him sleep, his face smoothed of the lines of stress and sorrow that had seemed to deeply etched onto it. At some point as they slept he had wrapped both of his hands around hers, squirming down to press his cheek to the small pile of entwined fingers. 

He'll be okay, Tikki murmured gently in her mind. He's strong. Plagg says he's been improving lately, even before they knew we were back. 

Marinette sighed quietly, brushing a strand of hair from his face with her free one. 

I know he is, she replied, silently. I just...hate that I caused him so much pain. 

Tikki was quiet, but Marinette knew the tiny god understood. She had her own clingy cat who had suffered just as much in their absence. They would make it up to them, somehow. 

The girl watched the pre-dawn lighten the buildings across the street over Adrien's shoulder. She'd slept better that night than she had in, well, years. Adrien was a quiet sleeper, aside from a quiet hum she hadn't been able to label as a very quiet snore, or a very quiet purr, he'd remained motionless but for the gentle rise and fall of his shoulders from the moment he'd pressed his face to her hand. 

What's the chance of me being able to get up without waking him? she asked her friend, amusement in the tone. I want to...talk to my parents. I know he could just leave but...

No more secrets, Tikki murmured agreeably. Things will move fast, now that we're home. It will be easiest if everyone is prepared. I think I can keep him asleep. He needs it. 

An angry grumble sounded from the small shoebox, but Tikki only hummed at Plagg, floating down to rest on Adrien's shoulder. She paused then, though, frowning.

Maybe I shouldn't, Tikki worried. The light spell worked, but we don't know if things are different here at home. I don't want to end up with him in a coma, or...

Marinette's stomach clenched. The sleep spell was one they'd both cast hundreds of times, almost thoughtlessly at this point. She's hadn't even considered that it could react badly here, now. 

Right. No. I'll just...see if I can get out.

It took almost ten minutes and Tikki's careful instructions to get out from beside Adrien. Instead of climbing over him she pulled herself up onto her balcony instead, padding over to the fire escape in her bare feet to slowly make her way down to the ground floor. 

She paused, her hand already motioning to unlock the door. She examined the industrial lock for a long moment. It really was a safe thing to practice on. The worst that could happen really would be that the lock might jam. There were other doors into the bakery. 

With her index finger, she drew the small sigil around the lock, finishing with a mental nudge of energy. The lock slid open with a dull click and Marinette grinned triumphantly, pushing the door open and locking it behind her. She slid over the counter, shouldering her way into the already warm kitchen where he father bustled around by the ovens. 

"Morning, Papa," she called, reaching for a spare apron hanging by the door. He spun, and she lurched back, ducking instinctively. 

"Marinette?" he called. She straightened, cheeks burning. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."

"...it's okay. I surprised you first," she replied, trying to smile but fairly sure she was failing. Her instincts had done her well before she got home, but this wasn't a war zone. She didn't need to be afraid of her father in his little kitchen. 

"You're up early. Are you sure you don't want to sleep some more?" he asked, gesturing her over. She relaxed into the welcoming hug. 

"No. I'm sort of...jet lagged," she replied. "My body thinks it's mid afternoon for some reason."

He chuckled. "Me and your mother went to the USA once, before you were born. It took Sabine almost a month to get back into the rhythm of things."

Marinette smiled, more easily this time. "Well, it'll be fine. It just means I can come help you!" 

She reached up, grabbing a bowl and tugging out the icing sugar to work on the glaze for the mornings sweeter confections. It had been a long time, but after a lifetime of living in the bakery it would take a lot longer to forget the morning routine. 

"I can't complain about that," he told her, going back to kneading the dough on the counter in front of him. "You're always welcome to help as much as you want."

They worked silently for a few moments, but as he pushed the last tray of loaves into the oven, Marinette forced herself to speak. 

"Is...mom here? Or did she go out for supplies?" she asked. 

"You didn't see her on your way down? She was going to bring breakfast down for me in a minute or two."

"I must have just missed her," Marinette told him, shrugging. "But...I...sort of need to talk to you guys about...something." 

Her father slowed, the easy motions of curling dought into rolls easing to a stop. "Well, you know we're here to listen to anything you want to tell us, sweetheart. We don't want to push you but..."

Marinette nodded, stomach clenching in a way that telling Adrien hadn't done. "I...yeah. I know. But...it's important."

"What's important?" Sabine smiled from the stairs, placing a plate of fruit and cheese on the counter beside her husband and leaning over to press a kiss to Marinette's hair. 

"I..." The words froze in her mouth. It had been one thing to tell Chat. He'd known her reservations, he'd understood her requests for anonymity. He knew she had a secret, and he'd been alright with that. 

She'd lied to her parents. Again and again in the two years she'd been Ladybug. She'd broken rules, her grades had slipped, she knew she'd disappointed them over and over. Admitting it now, telling them that she'd kept something so huge from them...

"It's okay, sweetheart," her mother told her, cupping her cheek gently. "You tell us when you're ready."

Her father nodded, pushing the fruit plate towards her even as he swallowed a piece of cheese with a smile. The two continued on their morning, leaving Marinette to steady herself in their comforting presence without pressure or questions. 

They are very good people, Tikki told her, phasing through the wall by the floor and zipping up to tuck herself away in her hair. There aren't many who would react well to their child being Ladybug but...they will. They will be proud of you, just like I am.

Marinette turned her face, leaning gently against the small warmth of her best friend before nodding. 

"I'm Ladybug," she announced, her words echoing around the suddenly silent kitchen. 

"...you're..." Her mother stared at her, hands clenched around a mixing bowl. Her father froze for a moment at the ovens, but recovered enough to close the door before straightening. 

"I'm...Ladybug. I...had to keep it a secret. I couldn't let you know. It wasn't safe. There was too much at stake and..." She was rambling and she knew it. She pursed her lips, eyes falling to the floor. "I didn't want to keep it a secret from you guys. I really didn't. Tikki and I just...we thought it would be safer for you. For me. For...everybody." 

"Ladybug," Sabine breathed, thumping down onto a stool. 

"...well. That makes...more sense than it doesn't." Marinette glanced up in surprise to her father. His brows furrowed, hands on his hips. She could see him warring with himself.

"It...what?"

"I mean, now that I think about it, the two of you look exactly alike. And all those mornings where you could barely drag yourself out of bed...all the times you disappeared when an akuma showed up..." Marinette could almost see the glamor sliding away from his eyes. 

"I'm sorry," she managed, hands tightening in her apron. 

"Ladybug." Tom glanced down at his shellshocked wife as she spoke, and he sighed. He pressed an affectionate kiss to her hair before stepping forward to sweep Marinette into a hug. 

"Our little lucky charm," he grumbled. "I should have known. We would have helped more, if we'd known." 

Ack, Tikki's mental voice was strained. Marinette leaned into her father's hug to give her friend a little more room to breath. 

"Nobody knew. Not even Chat. We couldn't risk Papillon akumatizing someone who knew and..."

"I've seen the movies," her father grumbled, only holding her tighter. "It's...less of a surprise than it should be. I guess I'm all surprised out, this week."

That surprised a laugh out of Marinette. He chuckled too, pulling back to meet her gaze squarely. There was something a little frantic in his eyes, but he was taking it better than she could have hoped. 

"We have...a lot to talk about," he told her. "We're...going to have to decide how to handle everything, moving forward. This just makes it a little more complicated, but we'll be fine."

"Tikki, then," he said with a sigh. "She's..."

"The reason I can transform, yes," Marinette filled in. "Powerful and ancient god, and all that."

Tikki giggled again, poking her head out from in Marinette's hair. Tom's hands tightened instinctively where they rested on her waist at the surprise, but when he pulled away they were steady. 

"Good morning, Tikki. Me and you are going to have a long talk about turning children into superheros without their parents permission. But first, breakfast." He spun away, rolling out his shoulders. Marinette's chest ached as she watched him push through the hurt and discomfort he had to be feeling. He was strong; so much stronger than she could ever be, and she was so lucky to have him as a dad. 

Sabine still sat, staring down at her hands now. Marinette stepped towards her carefully. 

"Mama?" she asked, placing a hand over her mother's. "Are you...okay? You can be mad, if you want. I'd understand."

Her mother's eyes shone as she finally looked up, the tears that were now far too familiar to Marinette refusing to fall. "Angry? Honey, I'm not angry at you. I'm angry...at myself. At the world. At bad men who force children to fight too young."

She glanced over at Tikki where she sat on Marinette's shoulder. 

"And perhaps a little angry at a certain god. Why did you need to be the one to fight? To struggle?"

"Mama-" Sabine was already shaking her head. 

"But no. Of course it would be you. You're my Marinette, strong as nails and the most kind little girl I could have ever hoped for. I'm proud of you, baby. It's just...hard. I keep remembering the fights I saw on the news and...I was always worried about Ladybug and Chat Noir. They seemed so young, and they were fighting things no one understood. If I'd known it was you..."

Marinette wrapped her arms around her mother tightly. "I know. That's...part of why I kept it a secret. I knew you would worry." 

"She was chosen long before she was born," Tikki murmured. Both women paused. "Fate is a funny thing. Life isn't predestined but it isn't...not, either. Marinette would always be your child, Tom's child. If you hadn't met, she wouldn't have existed, but you did, so she does. She's strong because of you. She's kind because of you. She's ladybug because when the world saw what the two of you would raise together, it decided that she was what the world needed." 

Tikki sighed, floating over to press a hand to Sabine's hair. "I'm sorry. There really aren't words for how it works. Not in any language you'll ever speak, anyways. It always hurts to place the weight of the miraculous on someone so young, but anyone older wouldn't be able to adapt to the magic. But you're right. It had to be Marinette. No one else could be a better Ladybug."

"Tikki..." Marinette burried her face in her mother's shoulder, cheeks flaming. 

"It's true Marinette. None of my other Ladybugs could have survived what you've survived. Done what you've done. I will always regret putting you through this, but I will always be glad it was you by my side when it happened."

"I love you too, you silly bug," she muttered, and her mother chuckled. 

"You're father's right. We'll figure this out. We're all together again, and that's all that matters."

Marinette nodded. "Right. We're all...ah. Right."

She pulled out of the hug, feeling suddenly very much like the teenager she was. "So...about uh...all." 

Sabine's just watched her questioningly. Marinette licked her lips, nervously. Facing down her parents couldn't be worse than an akuma, and yet...

"I went out, last night. To...find Chat. To tell him I'm back." Emotioned flashed across her mother's expression, but they settled into curious resignation. 

"And?"

"He was...upset. He's been fighting alone for...so long and...I couldn't just...leave him there, again."

"...there's a boy in your room." Tom's voice was oddly calm and Marinette looked up at him, chewing on her lip. 

"There's...yeah. He's upstairs. I would have warned you, but you were sleeping, and I didn't want to leave him waiting any longer. I couldn't let him think that...that I didn't care. That he was something at...the end of my 'when I get back' to do list. But when I found him he was so upset, and I didn't want to be gone long incase you came to check on me, I couldn't just leave him there and-"

"Marinette." Sabine's voice broke her diatribe off. "Are the two of you..?"

Marinette's face flared, burning from the tips of her ears down to her neck. "No! Nope! Just...we're just partners. I mean, crime fighting partners, not partner partners. We'd never... I mean, okay, I kissed him once but that was just because he was cursed! Not for...normal...kissing reasons and..."

Tom chuckled. "Well, it's good to see that our Marinette isn't a totally different person. I swear, you and your mother can fit more words into a single second than anyone else I know."

"I wish you had discussed it with us," Sabine ignored her husband. "But...We can't pretend you're our baby anymore. You've lived without us for two years. You're not a child anymore. We'll...talk about any rules we might need to set later. For now, why don't you get him and bring him down for something to eat? Oh, unless we can't know who he is? Can he eat in costume?"

"I'll ask him what he thinks," Marinette smiled. "I think he'll be okay with you knowing, but I'll check first."

She paused, glancing between her parents. Love for the two amazing people that had dedicated so much of their lives to her swelled, almost overwhelmed in its intensity. "I...thank you. Both of you. I know...this is all a lot. Me coming back, and Tikki, and heroes, and..."

"Go get Chat," Tom told her, firmly. "Whenever I see that boy on TV I always think he needs a good, solid Dupain-Cheng breakfast."

Marinette laugh, Tikki giggling along beneath her ear. "Okay. Alright. I'll be right back."

She jogged up the stairs, feeling lighter than she had since the day she put on the earrings. 

Tikki streaked along beside her. "See? I told you. They'll be fine."

"You were right, like always. Except that time with the Voorm Tree." If gods could blush, Tikki would have. 

"How could I have guessed that a tree was flirting with me? That's an unfair example." 

Marinette laughed, poking the tiny god gently. "I mean, he was a very handsome tree."

Tikki glared at her, amusement lurking behind the expression before phasing through the trap door into their room. Marinette chuckled, pushing the door open quietly. She climbed up, looking towards her bed when her feet were one solid ground again. Two shockingly green eyes, ones that had haunted her dreams for the last four years stared down at her silently. There was fear peaking out behind his shuttered expression. It hurt her heart. 

"Sorry, kitty," she told him, climbing up the short ladder onto the bed. "I meant to be back before you woke up."

"It's okay," he replied, though it very clearly wasn't. She ran a hand through his hair gently, smiling a little as his eyes fluttered closed and he leaned into the touch unthinkingly. 

"I had to talk to my parents. They told me to invite you down for breakfast." 

His eyes sprung open again, a completely different kind of panic filling them. "You...told them I was in your room?" 

Marinette could do nothing to hold back the laughter. Tikki's tinkling giggle joined and Adrien flushed crimson. 

"Sorry," she choked out, fighting back against her chuckles. "Sorry. Sorry, just...the look on your face." 

Adrien pouted, nose scrunching up. If he'd been transformed his tail would have been whipping side to side in his clear agitation. "So sorry, my lady. I just didn't expect to be outed to your parents this early in the morning." 

Marinette wiped her eyes, shaking her head. "I didn't say who you were. They know I'm Ladybug. Or...they know now. They know Chat is here. They don't know who Chat is." 

"They...you told them?" he asked, quietly. "What happened to secrecy? To keeping people safe?" 

The warm amusement drained from her, leaving her cold and tired. She sighed. "Things are different now. I can protect them better if I don't have to hide what I'm doing. I can fight better if I have people to back me up. We both can." 

He frowned, brows knitting together. She continued before he had a chance to speak. "I know you've been fighting alone for a long time. You don't have to trust them if you feel uncomfortable. You can come have breakfast transformed. Or you can stay up here and I'll bring you something." She didn't even bother mentioning him leaving. She knew for a fact neither of them could handle that quite yet. "From now on, it's the two of us though. I won't make any more decisions without you, not unless it's absolutely necessary. Partners."

He blinked, hands clutching at the blankets. "You...really?" 

"I really what?" She settled in beside him, their shoulders pressed together again. He took a moment to formulate his thoughts. 

"I mean...we were always partners but...I was better at...following. I mean, you had the ideas. You had the yoyo. I was supposed to protect you so you could get your job done." His voice was strained. "I was supposed to..."

"You did." She grabbed his chin, knowing this wasn't going to be the last time they had this conversation. The scars on both of them went too deep to heal in one fell swoop. "You always protected me. What happened was because I did something stupid, not because you did anything wrong. From now on though, we protect each other. We are two halves of a whole, Adrien. We both need each other. I learned a lot of things while I was...gone. I'm going to teach you. We're going to work together, and we are going to whip the scourge that's infecting nooroo off the face of the planet." 

Adrien's eyes were wide by the time she finished. They sat in silence for a long moment, and Marinette's heart hammered in her chest. Maybe she'd said too much. Maybe this was too fast and...

"Okay," he said, nodding. "Okay. Partners." 

He raised his fist, the normal triumphant smile missing from the gesture, replaced by a look of rocky determination. She raised her own, tapping it against his.

"Partners."

"Marinette?" Her mother's voice echoed up the stairs, making them jump. "How many people am I making crepes for?" 

They stared at each other, until giggle burst from them both. 

"Do you want some crepes, kitty?" Marinette asked, still giggling as she pressed her forehead against his shoulder. He pressing his own against hers and the cold of their conversation before seemed to seep away. 

"I do love crepes," he replied, and she could hear his grin. "But...are you...sure? That they'll be okay with me coming?" 

She looked up, giving him a stern look. "Don't even start. My parents will love you because I do. You've saved my life more times than I can count and they know that."

His expression went from worried to awed and gobstruck. Marinette spun backwards through their conversation, stomach clenching as she replayed the words in her head. "Uh..."

Plagg laughed, and Tikki hushed him, somewhere up by their shoebox. 

"You..." He seemed to get stuck there. She could almost feel the gears grinding in his mind. She licked her lips, dredging up the last little bit of emotional energy. 

"I love you, silly cat. You know that. You're my other half. Now come on. I'm hungry." With a huff she crawled over to climb down the ladder and marched towards the stairs to the rest of the house. Tikki giggled softly and Plagg guffawed. It took Adrien a moment to break out of the paralysis her statement had shocked him into and he scrambled after her. "Wait up!"

She fought back a grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Back at home, back here. Back!


End file.
